New York Sour - How to Make the Classic 1883 Cocktail & the History Behind It

Опубликовано: 06 Октябрь 2024
на канале: Distinguished Spirits

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The #NewYorkSour is a pretty famous drink for one that's a variation on an even more popular drink, the #WhiskeySour. The big difference is that this one has a float of #redwine on the top. So, it's the best of both worlds, the spicy, caramelly rye whiskey with lemon, simple syrup and the lush, jammy, fruity bite of red wine on top. Plus, it looks really impressive, which is never a bad thing.

The Sour is a rudimentary drink category that's basically a spirit (brandy, rum, whiskey, gin, etc.), a citrus and a sweetener. The Sour, particularly the Whiskey Sour, was a staple of American life from the 1860's to the 1960's. So, it's not too much of a surprise that when cocktail books started popping up in the late 1800's, they had several flourishes and variations on this template. There were sours with Curaçao, egg white, benedictine, Jamaican rum floats and, of course, claret (red wine) floats.

There were so many Whiskey Sours with a red wine float popping up in books with so many different names, that it seemed like it was just part of the zeitgeist. However, David Wondrich, in his book, Imbibe, traced the drink's origin back to the Windy City. It made a few appearances in the Chicago Tribune in the early 1880's, including one bartender who claimed that the claret float originated at his bar. However, this barman just referred to the drink simply as a "whisky sour".

The eventual name of New York Sour, didn't solidify until after Prohibition. In the 50 years in between the drink went by many names, such as, Brunswick, Saratoga, Touraine Sour (this one also had a dash of Benedictine), Continental Sour and Southern Whiskey Sour. It took the brain drain of bartenders fleeing the US for a decade during Prohibition and the popularity Old Mister Boston's Bartender's Guide from 1935 to marshal the culture behind the name, New York Sour, but it eventually stuck.

Then this drink, along with most others, faded into a memoryhole from the 1970's through the late 1990's as the world entered the Cocktail Dark Ages. However, when the Cocktail Renaissance kicked off in the late-2000's, this was one that was championed early by Julie Reiner, in particular. Reiner was a disciple of Dale Degroff and the owner of the New York mainstays, Flatiron Lounge, Pegu Club and Clover Club.

The lemon and the simple syrup (1:1) are really straightforward. The whiskey all the classic recipes called for was that resurrected classic, rye whiskey. Bourbon or Tennessee whiskey will do in a pinch, or even a grain-heavy blended Scotch if that's what you have on hand, but rye is what you want to use if you can. It gives it a really spicy, bready body to the drink that just works so well with the wine.

For the wine, pretty much any fruity, chewy red will do. Claret is what all the old bar books would call for, but that was just a catch-all term that bartender's from the 1800's used for any red wine. Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, or my favorite, Malbec, are all good choices here.

The float itself it pretty easy. Just steadily pour it over the back of a spoon. A speed pourer is really helpful for this. But you could also use a measuring cup with a little spout to give your a better pour. This drink is one of those rare unicorns that is easy to make, looks amazing and tastes even better. Enjoy!

Recipe:
2 oz (60 ml) Rye Whiskey
0.75 oz (22 ml) Lemon Juice
0.75 oz (22 ml) Simple Syrup
float 1 oz (30 ml) Red Wine

Shake all but wine with ice. Double strain over large ice in an old fashioned glass. Float red wine on top.

Music:
Oh What a Whirl by Jules Gaia
via Epidemic Sound

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Featured in this Episode:

Wright & Brown Rye Whiskey
https://bit.ly/2QSN1kS

Terrazas Malbec Wine
https://bit.ly/33RuKty

Imbibe! by David Wondrich
https://amzn.to/2BAy1Rg

Bar Tools:

Godinger Dublin Double Old Fashioned Glass
http://amzn.to/1FT6LJU

Japanese Style Jigger - Gunmetal Black
https://amzn.to/2MWNFgC

Koriko Weighted Shaker Set
https://amzn.to/2wv8jdw

Hawthorne Strainer- Gunmetal Black
https://amzn.to/2PHo89P

Fine Mesh Strainer
https://amzn.to/2BWZKhl

Citrus Juicer (Lemon)
http://amzn.to/2m2NC2V

Cutting Board
http://amzn.to/1QgQTSW

Small Knife
http://amzn.to/1KDFQoc

Muddler Barspoon
http://bit.ly/2UAeHiy

Speed Pourer
https://amzn.to/2JoOlaY

OXO Mini Measuring Cup
https://amzn.to/3alnd8O

Crystal-Clear Square Ice Cube Maker
https://amzn.to/2wKIU3v